Press Releases

The Chicago Botanic Garden held the Volunteer Awards Reception for 2017 Service on Wednesday, June 20, in McGinley Pavilion, to recognize years, as well as hours of work, put in by thousands of volunteers last year.

More than 400 guests raised nearly $1 million and were introduced to Color in the Garden at the annual Summer Dinner Dance, the Garden’s most important fundraising event. This summer, visitors will notice the display gardens have been designed around the color wheel, a theme that was carried into the décor for the evening. From the flower arrangements on the tables to the changing lights in the tent, it was certainly a colorful evening.

The Chicago Botanic Garden and Lawndale Christian Health Center have partnered to open the Farm on Ogden, a 20,000-square-foot multiuse facility, one of the first of its kind in the nation. The Farm on Ogden will support and sustain a healthy urban community by bringing food, health and jobs together in one location.

Warm weather has arrived, with planting season close behind. Learn from the experts to get your garden underway, watch helpful demonstrations and pick out some plants at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Get Growing Weekend, from Friday, May 18, to Sunday, May 20.

With a variety of activities each day, everyone – from the beginning gardener to the seasoned planter – will find inspiration and advice.

There’s always something going on at the Chicago Botanic Garden. From the Model Railroad Garden and Butterflies & Blooms in summer, to Wonderland Express in winter, each day brings a new experience at the Garden. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org for more information.

There’s always something going on at the Chicago Botanic Garden. From the Orchid Show in winter to the Model Railroad Garden and Butterflies & Blooms in summer, each day brings a new experience at the Garden. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org for more information.

“Brazil in the Garden,” a multi-seasonal floral, art show and visitor programming exhibition; a sold-out, pumpkin-themed Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns, and “Orchids in Vogue,” a fashion and popular culture-themed display of 10,000 orchids, brought more visitors than ever to the Chicago Botanic Garden in 2017. The Garden attendance exceeded 1 million visitors for the fifth year in a row. The 2017 attendance was the highest ever, with 1,111,204 visitors.

Winter will get a bit more colorful when the annual Orchid Show returns to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Starting February 10 and running through March 25, the show will transform the Garden’s Greenhouses and parts of the Regenstein Center into an orchid-filled oasis. The show opens every day at 10 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m., except for Thursdays, which feature special offerings and a nighttime viewing of the show until 8 p.m.

Gardening enthusiasts—seasoned and new—get the best start on planning their planting at Super Seed Weekend, a two-day event featuring classes and workshops, guest speakers and a seed swap. This year’s weekend will be held Saturday, January 27, and Sunday, January 28.

GLENCOE, IL (December 6, 2017)– The Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society raised more than $264,000 at its 12th annual All Aboard! gala on Friday, December 1, at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Around 350 guests enjoyed the event, ensuring that the Chicago Botanic Garden will continue to protect biodiversity, connect people with plants, and move forward with thriving research and programs that support the Garden’s mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life.

More than 200 guests attended the recent Harvest Party hosted by the Guild of the Chicago Botanic Garden in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. The event raised more than $46,000 for Windy City Harvest, the urban agriculture initiative of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

There’s always something going on at the Chicago Botanic Garden. From the Model Railroad Garden and family events on weekends, each day brings a new experience at the Garden. Visit http://www.chicagobotanic.org for more information.

Which trees and shrubs will thrive in a changing climate? How can we plan gardens that stand the test of time? These are questions that will be answered at the Midwest Tree and Shrub Conference: Landscape for a Changing Future at the Chicago Botanic Garden on Thursday, September 7. Everyone from avid home gardeners to landowners to green industry professionals will get the latest on the selection and care of hardy, versatile trees and shrubs from the best speakers and plant experts in the business.

More than 450 guests were introduced to the spectacular beauty, biodiversity and culture of Brazil at the annual Summer Dinner Dance. The event raised more than $900,000 for the Chicago Botanic Garden and its many initiatives and programs, from sustaining horticultural excellence to ensuring access to fresh produce in Chicago neighborhoods to protecting the nation’s biodiversity.

GLENCOE, ILLINOIS (May 22, 2017) -- The Chicago Botanic Garden is monitoring two corpse flowers that are both well into their bloom cycles and on track to open soon.

“Java” and “Sumatra,” named for two islands of the plant’s native country of Indonesia, are developing at a similar enough pace where it’s possible both could open within a close time frame. The two plants – nicknamed the Titan Twins – are from the same parent plant as Sprout, a corpse flower that bloomed last year at the Garden. The Titan Twins are on view in the Semitropical Greenhouse.

This summer, while the plants of Brazil will be featured in 17 areas throughout the Chicago Botanic Garden, visitors will be able to enjoy the sounds and styles of the country as well. Programs throughout the Garden will celebrate Brazil’s biodiversity and vibrant culture.

Music

The Garden’s annual summer music series – Music on the Esplanade on Tuesdays and Hot Summer Nights on Thursdays – will feature several artists playing different styles of Brazilian music, including samba and jazz:

There’s always something going on at the Chicago Botanic Garden. From the Model Railroad Garden and Butterflies & Blooms exhibitions, which open in May, to weekday evening programs all summer long, each day brings a new experience at the Garden. Visit chicagobotanic.org for more information.

GLENCOE, IL (April 11, 2017) — The Chicago Botanic Garden has earned the top rating of Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for the Learning Center on the Regenstein Learning Campus. It is the first LEED Platinum-certified building named in the Chicago area in 2017. Out of 51,875 projects in the United States that earned LEED status since 2004, only 10.7 percent have been awarded “platinum” recognition, the highest certification level available.

The Chicago Botanic Garden will be immersed in the culture of Brazil this summer and fall. Brazil in the Garden will feature tropical plants, music and food of Brazil, adult education class offerings and lecture series, themed family drop-in activities and childhood education classes. Select summer camp and summer reading programs will include Brazil-themed offerings. Visitors will also be able to enjoy an exhibition of the art work of modernist Brazilian designer Roberto Burle Marx.

Six Chicago-area garden clubs affiliated with the Garden Club of America (GCA) present the competitive flower show, Show of Summer, with the theme "Children at Play" on June 24 and 25 at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Visitors will enjoy plant and flower displays with the highest standards of artistic and horticultural excellence. One of the main purposes of the show is to educate visitors about horticulture, flower arranging and conservation. This year, participants will interpret the theme “Children at Play” throughout the displays.

GLENCOE, IL (Jan. 26, 2017) - The Board of Directors of the Chicago Botanic Garden has named Fred Spicer its next executive vice president and director of the Garden. He replaces Kris Jarantoski, who retires after 40 years. Spicer most recently served 15 years as the director and then CEO of the Birmingham (AL) Botanical Gardens.

Winter in Chicago is about to get a bit more tropical. The Orchid Show returns to the Chicago Botanic Garden starting on Saturday, February 11, and running until Sunday, March 26. Due to the show’s popularity, this year the Orchid Show will run two weeks longer than previous years.

GLENCOE, IL (January 6, 2017) – The opening of the Regenstein Learning Campus in September, the premiere of Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns in October and the growing need for people to engage with nature brought more visitors than ever to the Chicago Botanic Garden in 2016. Attendance reached 1,074,000, the highest in the Garden’s 44-year history and an increase of 2.5 percent over 2015. Attendance has increased by 41 percent since 2006, when the Garden closed the year at 760,000 visits.

Every winter, home gardeners congregate at the Chicago Botanic Garden to plan their spring planting and share seeds at the Seed Swap. The annual Swap has become so popular that it has been expanded to a full weekend of events, Super Seed Weekend, including a featured speaker, gardening classes and, of course, the big swap. Events will be held on Saturday, January 21, and Sunday, January 22.

GLENCOE, IL (December 6, 2016) – The Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society raised $315,000 at its 11th annual All Aboard! gala on Friday, December 2, at the Chicago Botanic Garden. More than 350 guests enjoyed the event, ensuring that the Chicago Botanic Garden can continue to protect biodiversity, connect people with plants, and move forward with thriving research and programs that support the Garden’s mission.

There’s always something going on at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and winter is no exception. Take part in events going on in early 2017, from education programs and family classes to the ever-popular Orchid Show. Visit chicagobotanic.org for more information.

ONGOING

Story Time in the Lenhardt Library – Mondays, January 9 to May 22 (10 to 11 a.m.)

Wonderland Express, Chicago’s favorite seasonal event, arrives again at the Chicago Botanic Garden for the holidays. Now in its 11th year of delighting Garden visitors, the exhibition transforms the Garden’s Regenstein Center into a magical holiday haven, full of trains, lights and botanical decorations.

For four nights in October, the Chicago Botanic Garden will be open late to allow visitors to take a nighttime stroll on paths lined with scores of carved, lit pumpkins and usher in Halloween.

A new event, Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns brings pumpkins, large and small, to the Garden from Thursday, October 20, to Sunday, October 23. There will be 1,000 small pumpkins and 100 larger, 150-pound pumpkins artfully arranged to line the walkways. The event runs each evening 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.

The leaves are changing, temperatures are dropping and Halloween is on its way. Grab a sweater and visit the Chicago Botanic Garden for events to help you celebrate the best of the fall season throughout October and November.

The 18th annual Harvest Ball was held recently on the beautiful early fall grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden, raising $335,000 for the Chicago Botanic Garden. With 385 acres of public gardens, 27 distinct gardens, four natural areas, and 80 acres of lakes, the Garden offers a unique location for an evening of dinner and dancing.

Getting outside and playing in nature are more than just down-to-earth fun. A growing body of research shows that nature play encourages creativity and problem solving, boosts academic performance, helps people focus, reduces stress and promotes positive social relationships.

The thousands of volunteers who work year-round at the Chicago Botanic Garden were celebrated at the Volunteer Awards Reception for 2015 Service on Tuesday, June 21, at McGinley Pavilion, which was overflowing with Garden volunteers and staff, as well as elected officials, family, and friends.

Cook County Forest Preserves General Superintendent Arnold Randall attended and applauded the strong relationship between the Forest Preserves and the Garden. He said this great example of a partnership between a public and a private institution is made possible by volunteers.

GLENCOE, IL — More than 300 guests celebrated the start of the summer season at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Summer Dinner Dance. The event raised more than $350,000 for the Garden and its many initiatives and programs, from sustaining horticultural excellence to ensuring access to fresh produce in Chicago neighborhoods to protecting the nation’s biodiversity.

Family-focused events and exhibitions are going on all summer long at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Every week brings a new and fun event to experience. Boogie all night at Dancin’ Sprouts, featuring a different children’s performer every week. Watch high-flying kites during the Kite Festival or see boats race during Model Sailboat Sunday. Or stop in to the Model Railroad Garden and Butterflies & Blooms, two seasonal favorites that are open now.

Highlights include:

Model Railroad Garden: Landmarks of America – Open through Sunday, October 30

Take dad outside for Father’s Day and enjoy a day of adventure, food and fun. The whole weekend is full of different activities for different kinds of dads, from the father who likes to explore to the dad who loves to create interesting meals.

Two great ways to take in the warm, sunny weather ushering in summer are tending to your garden and enjoying meals outdoors. Whether growing or eating, there are many ways to celebrate food at the Garden this summer. Food-related evets are held in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden, unless noted otherwise.

Summer food at the Garden highlights include the following:

Garden Chef Series (1:30 and 2:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, May 28 to October 9)

The sounds of summer fill the Chicago Botanic Garden again this year, with concerts running all season and covering different genres. From sing-a-long concerts for kids to concerts with dance lessons, there are many opportunities to enjoy music while surrounded by the beauty of the Garden all summer long.

Conservation is a big term that covers a lot of ground. That's why the Chicago Botanic Garden sets aside a full day for children and adults to explore conservation and sustainability on World Environment Day. Learn about topics large and small—from the global reach of our plant conservation scientists to sustainable gardening at home.

Come hear indie music in a setting that inspires all your senses. The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Live from the Garden: Indie Concert Series continues this month with an event featuring Brendan James, an upcoming piano-based singer-songwriter who captivates listeners with his soulful ballads and engaging lyrics.

GLENCOE, IL (April 20, 2016) – Donning their best spring garden party attire, 650 guests raised more than $200,000 at the recent Preview Evening for the Antiques, Garden & Design Show. Celebrating its 16th year, the Show inspires stylish living and presents beautiful gardens and objects in a way that transcends the ordinary.

GLENCOE, IL (April 20, 2016) – The Chicago Botanic Garden is on titan watch with another corpse flower well into its bloom cycle and on display in the Semitropical Greenhouse. Sprout’s bloom cycle began just seven months after another corpse flower in the Garden’s collection opened.

GLENCOE (March 28, 2016) -- Secrets will be revealed at The Hidden Art of Trees, an exhibition highlighting the artistic and functional side of wood. The exhibition will run from April 30 to August 21 at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

GLENCOE (March 8, 2016) – From the height of spring to the crisp beginning of fall, the Chicago Botanic Garden has a range of programs and activities for children and families to enjoy. A full calendar of family events is available at chicagobotanic.org/forfamilies. Details on specific programs are listed below.

GLENCOE (March 8, 2016) – A collection of photographs entitled Botanicals: Intimate Portraits opens April 18 at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The art installation, which features more than 20 images by celebrated photographer Laurie Tennent, will be on display through September 25 in the Krehbiel Gallery, located in the Regenstein Center.

GLENCOE, IL (Feb. 22, 2016)  Nearly 200 guests braved wild and windy weather to warm up at the Chicago Botanic Garden and enjoy Cocktails & Orchids on Friday, February 19. The event was co-chaired by Kate Fitzgerald, Jen Kasten, Jennifer Keenan and Steffie Madigan, all sustaining members of the The Guild of the Chicago Botanic Garden, and raised $20,000.

“Athyrium are among the most elegant, yet utilitarian plants for the shade garden,” said Richard G. Hawke, the Garden’s plant evaluation manager. “Their feathery fronds provide texture in a variety of colors to contrast and complement other perennials.”

GLENCOE, IL. (Feb. 5, 2016) - The Chicago Botanic Garden is hosting its fifth annual Seed Swap on Sunday, February 28. The popular program teaches gardeners the best ways to collect and save seeds, and offers an opportunity to swap seeds with all attendees. The event takes place in the Regenstein Center at the Glencoe campus.

The Chicago Botanic Garden offers a full calendar of activities for all ages, including The Orchid Show, the Antiques, Garden & Design Show, photo walks, weekend family classes, Easter Brunch and more, from February through April 2016.

GLENCOE, IL (Feb. 2, 2016) – The 16th Antiques, Garden & Design Show offers access to exhibitors of highly curated antiques and beautiful objects for the home and garden from around the world, as well as stunning gardens by Craig Bergmann Landscape Design.

GLENCOE, IL (Feb. 2, 2016) – Stunning displays of up to 10,000 blooming orchids in more varieties than ever before fill the Chicago Botanic Garden Greenhouses and Galleries with exotic fragrance and color during its third annual Orchid Show, opening Saturday, February 13, and continuing through Sunday, March 13.

GLENCOE, IL (Dec. 11, 2015) - The Board of Directors of the Chicago Botanic Garden has named Jean M. Franczyk as its next president and CEO, effective April 1, 2016. Franczyk has been in leadership roles with the Science Museum Group in the United Kingdom since 2006 and has been deputy director of the Science Museum in London since 2014.

GLENCOE, IL (Dec. 10, 2015) — Online registration for Camp CBG, the Chicago Botanic Garden’s signature summer day camp is now open. The camp, which runs from June 20 through August 19, 2016, provides exciting, fun, and enriching outdoor learning experiences for children ages 2 to 15 years old.

GLENCOE, IL (Dec. 9, 2015) – The Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society raised $270,000 at its tenth annual All Aboard! celebration on Friday, December 4, at the Chicago Botanic Garden. More than 350 guests enjoyed the event, benefiting the Garden’s Regenstein Learning Campus, which provides educational programs such as Science First for Chicago Public Schools students.

GLENCOE, IL (Dec. 8, 2015) – Students can indulge their interests and build new skills this winter with classes that will take them from snowy sunrises to science laboratories to a green roof and beyond. They can grow their gardening skills and knowledge of natural systems, learn about traditional foods, try yoga both indoors and out, hear from a renowned author, or tap into another field. A new list of offerings by the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden is now available for registration.

GLENCOE, IL (Dec. 8, 2015) — Early childhood staff at the Chicago Botanic Garden will host two open houses introducing the Nature Preschool, a nature- and play-based, developmentally appropriate preschool on the new Regenstein Learning Campus. Open houses will be held on January 14 and April 7, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in theLakeside Room of the Visitor Center.

GLENCOE, IL (Nov. 19, 2015) — On #GivingTuesday, December 1, the Chicago Botanic Garden joins the global movement to have philanthropic dollars make a difference. The Garden’s goal is 200 gifts by 11:59 p.m. that day to secure a challenge gift of $25,000, with funds used to cultivate, restore and conserve the plants that inspire.

GLENCOE, IL (Oct. 27, 2015) – The Garden Shop at the Chicago Botanic Garden offers a wide array of exclusive and unique gift items for everyone from kids to grandparents, to gardeners and lovers of beautiful things.

This November and December, the Chicago Botanic Garden presents an array of actitivities, including the area's premier fiber art show, photo walks, and the not-to-be-missed holiday exhibition Wonderland Express, for visitors of all ages and interests.

GLENCOE, IL (Oct. 8, 2015) — Wonderland Express brings seasonal charm and sparkle to the Chicago Botanic Garden from Friday, November 27, 2015, through Sunday, January 3, 2016. Twinkling outdoor lights, evergreens and blooms, an indoor model train exhibition, shopping and special events make Wonderland Express a not-to-be-missed holiday tradition for visitors of all ages and interests. One of this year’s highlights is a new miniature replica of the Maggie Daley Park Skating Ribbon as part of the Millennium Park display in the Joutras Gallery.

GLENCOE, IL (Oct. 8, 2015) — Cleverly costumed canines and their owners, led by Cruella de Vil and her Dalmatian, will strut their stuff in the Chicago Botanic Garden’s annual Spooky Pooch Parade from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Halloween, Saturday, October 31—the only day of the year dogs are allowed at the Garden.

GLENCOE, IL (Sept. 30, 2015) – A focused group of citizen scientists with the 15-year-old Plants of Concern program are on a mission this fall to protect local plant species that grow only in northern Illinois. Through a series of programs including a monitoring foray and workday, these volunteers are learning new technologies, collecting vital data about existing plants and preparing habitat for the return of missing species.

GLENCOE, IL (Sept. 29, 2015)— The Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society presents its 10th annual All Aboard! celebration at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, December 4, at the Chicago Botanic Garden. This year’s theme is “A Holiday Journey to the World’s Ancient Trees.”

Co-chaired by Celine Lillie of Wheaton and Michelle McCarthy of Chicago, the event benefits the Garden’s Regenstein Foundation Learning Campus, which provides educational programs such as Science First for Chicago Public Schools students.

GLENCOE, IL (Sept. 23, 2015) - The Guild of the Chicago Botanic Garden welcomed 300 guests to the 17th annual Harvest Ball on Saturday, September 19, on the beautiful early fall grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

GLENCOE, IL (Sept. 22, 2015)– Visitors to the Illinois Orchid Society Spring Show & Sale at the Chicago Botanic Garden on Saturday and Sunday, March 12 and 13, will have the opportunity to purchase many orchid varieties and to learn everything they need to know about growing orchids at home.

GLENCOE, IL (Sept. 17, 2015)— An exhibition of rare books about growing grapes and making wine, primarily in nineteenth-century America and Europe, is on view through November 8, 2015 in the Lenhardt Library of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

GLENCOE, IL (Sept. 1, 2015) -Welcome the fall season with a cold glass of beer! Oktoberfest celebrations occur throughout Europe; the Chicago Botanic Garden will celebrate locally on Thursday, October 8, from 6 to 8 p.m.

GLENCOE, IL (Aug. 27, 2015) -Celebrate Halloween with the entire family at HallowFest: A Garden of Good…and Evil. The popular Chicago Botanic Garden event returns on Saturday, October 24, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and Sunday, October 25, from 4 to 7:30 p.m.

GLENCOE, IL (Aug. 27, 2015) -The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Fall Bulb Festival provides seasonal family fun on the Esplanade and a sale featuring more than 250 varieties of spring-flowering bulbs for everyone from the novice to expert gardener. The bulbs are shipped directly from Holland just in time for fall planting.

GLENCOE, IL (Aug. 27, 2015) -Bicyclists of all ages can ride the full perimeter of the Chicago Botanic Garden and end with a finish-line celebration on September 13. Registration begins at 7 a.m., and the event runs from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.

GLENCOE, IL (Aug. 27, 2015) -Stunning quilts, lovely knitted artwear, woven wonders, and breathtaking beadwork are among the abundant handcrafted items on view and for sale at the 2015 Fine Art of Fiber exhibition at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The area’s oldest, largest and most unique fiber art event takes place Friday, November 6, through Sunday, November 8, from 10 a.m.

GLENCOE, IL (Aug. 11, 2015) -Nature and garden photographs from more than 35 students and instructors of the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden will be on display from Friday, August 21, through Sunday, September 20, in the Joutras and Bridge Galleries in the Regenstein Center.

GLENCOE, IL (July 31, 2015) – Amid the thriving craft brew scene in Chicago, the Chicago Botanic Garden, Chef Cleetus Friedman and Begyle Brewing have teamed up to create a series of unique seasonal ales that capture the change of seasons at the 385-acre garden. Friedman, executive chef of Fountainhead, the Bar on Buena, and soon-to-open the Northman in Chicago, is a leader in local, seasonal food and drink and has created signature beers for other Chicago cultural institutions.

GLENCOE, IL (July 1, 2015)—More than 425 guests recently celebrated the beginning of the summer party season at the Summer Dinner Dance at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The black-tie soiree commemorated the 125th anniversary of the Chicago Horticultural Society, which operates the Chicago Botanic Garden together with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres served on the Rose Garden Terrace, followed by an intimate dinner dance in an elegant pavilion on the Esplanade.

GLENCOE, IL (June 30, 2015) - Protected federal lands across the United States welcome Chicago Botanic Garden Conservation and Land Management (CLM) interns this summer for intensive fieldwork. The interns, all college graduates with degrees in science fields and some with advanced degrees, bring a unique suite of skills and enthusiasm to the rapidly growing fields of restoration, conservation and land management.

GLENCOE, IL (June 30, 2015) — Music fills the Chicago Botanic Garden every Monday through Thursday evening, plus Tuesday mornings this summer. From enchanting carillon bells to high-energy dance music in a variety of genres to singalongs for young visitors, Garden concerts satisfy all ages and musical tastes.

GLENCOE, IL (June 30, 2015)— The Chicago Botanic Garden offers a menu of summer activities designed to whet the appetite for growing and eating healthy, fresh foods. Weekend festivals and events highlight cooking techniques, herbs, heirloom tomatoes and other seasonal produce, while providing a wealth of information on practical, sustainable ways to grow fruits and vegetables in the home garden.

GLENCOE, IL (June 24, 2015) – The Chicago Botanic Garden recently celebrated the dedication of its team of more than 2,000 volunteers in 2014. One new and several annual awards were presented for individual achievement. The Annual Volunteer Recognition Reception was held under the canopy of the lakeside McGinley Pavilion.

GLENCOE, IL (June 16, 2015) – The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Board of Directors today announced that Sophia Shaw has indicated her intention to retire as president and CEO effective in 2016, her tenth anniversary of service to the Garden.

GLENCOE, IL (May 20, 2015) – The private garden of celebrity chef Rick Bayless and the part-time residence of television journalist Bill Kurtis will provide special settings for classes offered this summer through of the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden. The school encourages lifelong learning in a range of garden-inspired topics, including botanical illustration, yoga, photography, wellness, birding, horticulture, and garden design.

GLENCOE, IL (May 19, 2015) —This year’s Summer Dinner Dance, the most beautiful summer party of the year, commemorates the 125th anniversary of the Chicago Horticultural Society, which operates the Chicago Botanic Garden together with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

GLENCOE, IL (May 19, 2015)— Plant aficionados from across the region won’t want to miss the Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society’s A Rare Affair: An Auction of Exceptional Offerings. Co-chairs Sue Cozzens and Geraldine “Bean” Carroll along with plant experts and members of the plant selection committee spent two years searching for and finding the best and most desirable plants and related items to auction off to attendees.

GLENCOE, IL (May 19, 2015) – Herb Garden Weekend presents ways to grow and use a variety of fragrant, flavorful and nutritious herbs through a series of displays, demonstrations, tours and family-friendly activities taking place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26, 2015, at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden.

GLENCOE, IL (May 7, 2015)—The origins of the Chicago Botanic Garden date to 1890 and the founding of the Chicago Horticultural Society. The dedicated group of Chicago civic leaders formed around the ideal expressed in the city’s motto, “urbs in horto,” or city in a garden. In the next 125 years, the Society would promote horticulture in all its forms and foster a love of gardening among the region’s residents.

GLENCOE, IL (May 5, 2014)—The extremely popular Garden Chef Series returns to the Chicago Botanic Garden on Saturday, May 23, for another growing season full of cooking demonstrations by noted area chefs, using the freshest fruits, herbs and vegetables. The free events take place at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday through October 4 in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Amphitheater seating, surrounded by lush garden beds, affords a pleasant view of the open-air kitchen.

GLENCOE, IL (April 24, 2015) – 700 guests donned their best spring garden party attire and raised over $200,000 at the recent Preview Evening for the Antiques, Garden & Design Show. Celebrating its 15th year, the Show inspires stylish living and presents beautiful gardens and objects in a way that transcends the ordinary.

GLENCOE, IL (April 7, 2015)—The Model Railroad Garden: Landmarks of America will once again take visitors on a cross-country tour of America’s most iconic sights. This year, the beloved exhibition will also journey back in time to the era of the steam locomotive.

GLENCOE, IL (April 3, 2015) – Butterflies & Blooms, an immersive outdoor exhibition, will be open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, weather permitting, from May 23 to September 7, 2015, at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The exhibition is housed in a 2,800-square-foot mesh enclosure located on the Annex Road, as you head from the Visitor Center to the McDonald Woods. Tickets are $6 for adults; $5 for seniors; and $4 for children ages 3 to 12. Children 2 and younger are free. Members get $1 off each ticket.

GLENCOE, IL (March 31, 2015) – Kris Jarantoski, Executive Vice President and Director of the Chicago Botanic Garden, was recently given the 2015 Arthur Hoyt Scott Medal and Award, conferred by Swarthmore College. The award recognizes outstanding national contributions to the science and art of gardening.

GLENCOE, IL (March 5, 2015)—Gardeners can add splashes of vivid pink, violet, purple and red-purple to rock gardens, borders and naturalized landscapes with three new sun-loving perennials introduced for the 2015 season by Chicagoland Grows®, Inc.

GLENCOE, IL (February 18, 2015) –  More than 285 guests came in from the cold to celebrate the opening of the Orchid Show on February 13. The Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society presented the preview evening, which was chaired by Louellen Murray of Lake Forest and Kim Visokey of Winnetka. More than $35,000 was raised toward “Growing the Future,” the Woman’s Board's $1 million pledge to the Chicago Botanic Garden.

GLENCOE, IL (February 4, 2015)—The intense beauty and exotic shapes of orchids fascinated Victorian explorers and inspired botanical illustrations of great artistry. Some of the finest examples will be on display during Orchidelirium: Illustrated Orchidaceae, a special rare book exhibition at the Lenhardt Library from Saturday, February 14, through Sunday, April 19, 2015.

GLENCOE, IL (January 23, 2015) – A $67,000 digital imaging grant from the Illinois State Library will enable the Lenhardt Library to share historically significant documents with a wider number of scholars, gardening enthusiasts and members of the general public. The Chicago Botanic Garden library is one of 13 statewide to receive a total of $485,779 in grants for preserving and providing web access to historical collections.

GLENCOE, IL (Jan. 21, 2015) – Proving that good design transforms any space, the Chicago Botanic Garden has rejuvenated the previous Antiques & Garden Fair into the Antiques, Garden & Design Show for spring 2015. Celebrating its 15th year, the Show inspires stylish living and presents beautiful gardens and objects in a way that transcends the ordinary.

GLENCOE, IL (January 13, 2015) – Visitors to the 2015 Orchid Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden will encounter an exotic bloom that has a place in most kitchens. Vanilla, the world’s most popular flavoring, comes from Vanilla planifolia, the only orchid of roughly 30,000 known species to have agricultural value. The show will trace the history of vanilla from its origins with the Totonaco people of Mexico, and depict the vanilla-making process from blossom to bottle.

GLENCOE, IL (January 5, 2015) – Expanded programs and amenities, and people’s growing need to engage with nature, attracted a record number of visitors to the Chicago Botanic Garden in 2014. Attendance reached 1,058,000, an increase of 6 percent over 2013, the first year the Garden surpassed the one-million-visit benchmark. Attendance has increased by 52 percent since 2005, when the Garden closed the year at 697,000 visits, with steady gains since 2008.

GLENCOE, IL (December 9, 2014) – The Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society raised $250,000 at its ninth annual All Aboard! celebration on December 4, 2014. Proceeds will support fellowships for the plant biology and conservation graduate program, a collaboration between the Garden and Northwestern University.

“The Chicago Botanic Garden is joining #GivingTuesday to strengthen the culture of giving during the busy holiday season,” said Anne Boynton, director of membership and annual giving. “The social media initiative helps us focus on community, and incorporate kindness and compassion into our seasonal celebrations.”

#GivingTuesday is a global social media movement that celebrates generosity and designates a day to give during the busy holiday shopping season. The third annual #GivingTuesday culminates on Tuesday, Dec.

GLENCOE, IL (October 28, 2014)– Norman Wickett, Ph.D., a conservation scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, is co-leading an international team of researchers in an unprecedented effort to reveal details about the origin and evolution of land plants. The team’s findings are scheduled for publication this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. More than 40 researchers on four continents are collaborating on the analysis, the largest applied to this problem to date.

GLENCOE, IL (Oct. 9, 2014) – Proving that good design transforms any space, the Chicago Botanic Garden has rejuvenated the previous Antiques & Garden Fair into the Antiques, Garden & Design Show for Spring 2015. Celebrating its 15th year, the show inspires stylish living and presents beautiful gardens and objects in a way that transcends the ordinary.

GLENCOE, IL (Sept. 24, 2014) – The 16th annual Harvest Ball was held recently on the beautiful early fall grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden, raising $375,000 for the Garden’s new Children’s Learning Garden.

GLENCOE, IL (August 29, 2014) – Why settle for a dozen roses when you and your Valentine can enjoy more than 10,000 tropical blooms at the Orchid Show, opening February 14, 2015, at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The show runs daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sunday, March 15, returning for a second year after exceeding expectations for interest and attendance in 2014.

GLENCOE, IL (August 27, 2014) —Internationally renowned sculptor DJ Garrity comes to the Chicago Botanic Garden this fall to lead a garden sculpture workshop based on his book, The Rhythms of Stone—The Essential Guide to Carving the Face in Stone. Garrity developed the workshop while a sculptor-in-residence at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Participants will explore a range of techniques as they carve a face from a rough block of limestone, an experience Garrity describes as “meditative.”

GLENCOE, Ill. (August 22, 2014) – The Chicago Botanic Garden will open the North Branch Trail addition, a wonderful multiuse path connecting the North Branch Trail with the Green Bay Trail at the Braeside Metra Station in Highland Park, on September 13.

The opening celebration will be from 2 to 4 p.m. The official “ribbon cutting” will take place at 2:30 p.m. at the end point of the trail at the Chicago Botanic Garden, across from the entrance to McDonald Woods. The dedication event is generously supported by NorthShore University HealthSystems.

GLENCOE, Ill. (August 19, 2014) – The Chicago Botanic Garden received a $750,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2012 to begin a three-year project to support the expansion of urban agriculture activities in Chicago’s South Side and West Side food desert neighborhoods. In the second year of the grant, four incubator sites have been established.

GLENCOE, IL (August 12, 2014) – Decorative illustrations on the inside front cover of books, known as bookplates, have been used around the world for centuries to declare ownership of book collections. A new rare book exhibition at the Chicago Botanic Garden explores these intricate works of art from personal and institutional libraries as well as from a private collection. The display, Ex Libris: Bookplates Through the Ages, runs from Friday, August 15, through Sunday, November 9, 2014, in the Lenhardt Library.

GLENCOE, IL (July 8, 2014) –Rhoda Muchmore, of Highland Park, was awarded the Five Star Customer Service Award at a recent reception at the Chicago Botanic Garden acknowledging the ongoing dedication and support of more than 2,000 volunteers. Muchmore is known for consistently going above and beyond to provide spectacular customer service to Garden visitors.

GLENCOE, IL (July 8, 2014) – Rodger McDowall, of Hoffman Estates, was named the 2013 Chicago Botanic Garden Volunteer of the Year at a recent awards reception acknowledging the ongoing dedication and support of more than 2,000 volunteers. The award, launched in 1984, recognizes the spirit of volunteering by focusing attention on the contributions given by all volunteers as well as honors one volunteer for his or her outstanding service.

GLENCOE, IL (July 8, 2014) – Rosemary Hart, of Chicago, received the Barbara Whitney Carr Excellence in Leadership Award at a recent reception acknowledging the ongoing dedication and support of more than 2,000 volunteers at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The award was launched in 2007 to pay tribute to the retiring CEO and highlights the innovation of one dedicated volunteer.

GLENCOE, IL (June 26, 2014) – Volunteers with the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Plants of Concern—a citizen-science corps in its 14th year of monitoring rare flora—recently prevented the shadbush from disappearing from a preserve in western Cook County. The shrub, native to woodland stream banks, is named for its pretty white flower, which blooms at the time the shad return to their spawning grounds. Habitat loss and degradation threaten the survival of shadbush in Illinois, and by 2011 the preserve’s population was reduced to a single plant.

GLENCOE, IL (June 9, 2014) – Pardon our appearance as we build a scenic and safe multiuse trail along Lake Cook Road to improve access for visitors who come to the Chicago Botanic Garden by train, bicycle, stroller, foot and wheelchair. The trail will link two popular north-south routes, the Green Bay and North Branch trails, and also provide a safe pathway for visitors arriving at the Braeside Metra station in Highland Park.

GLENCOE, IL (May 27, 2014) – Six Chicago-area garden clubs affiliated with the Garden Club of America (GCA) present the competitive flower show, Show of Summer, with the theme "Our Kind of Town" on June 21 and 22 at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Visitors will enjoy plant and flower displays with the highest standards of artistic and horticultural excellence. One of the main purposes of the show is to educate visitors about horticulture, flower arranging and conservation.

GLENCOE, IL. (May 8, 2014) – The newly renovated and named Garden View Café recently opened at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It offers an enhanced menu of the best of local, fresh seasonal foods, restaurant-style seating, a barista and pastry station and flatbreads cooked in a brick pizza oven.

GLENCOE, IL (April 30, 2014)—It’s not too late to restore the awe-inspiring migration of the monarch butterfly, which used to fly north by the hundreds of millions to spend summers throughout the Upper Midwest and Canada, say members of the Alliance for Milkweed and Butterfly Recovery.

Learn more about the coalition’s work—and steps you can take to support the iconic butterfly—at a special “Make Way for Monarchs” event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, June 6, at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

GLENCOE, IL (December 30, 2013) – For the first time in its 41-year history, the Chicago Botanic Garden has attracted more than one million visitors in a calendar year. Today’s milestone represents a five percent increase over 2012, the second highest attendance year on record, and is the fourth annual attendance record in the past five years.

GLENCOE, Ill. (December 20, 2013) – For the first time in its 41-year history, the Chicago Botanic Garden is on the cusp of attracting one million visitors in a calendar year. The benchmark, which the Garden hopes to reach on December 31, represents a 5 percent increase over 2012, the second highest attendance year on record. That year, 954,727 people visited the Garden.

GLENCOE, IL (November 21, 2013) – On December 4, the Chicago Botanic Garden will be the first public garden in the country, and the first cultural institution in Chicago, to host a virtual field trip utilizing the Google+ platform. Funding for field trips is shrinking, so why not bring the field trip directly to students?

GLENCOE, Ill. (November 7, 2013) Multiyear efforts to restore native species to two natural areas at the Chicago Botanic Garden—the Garden Lakes and McDonald Woods—have received four honors from three diverse organizations.

GLENCOE, Ill. (October 7, 2013) – Chicago Botanic Garden researchers have received a $1.54 million Dimensions in Biodiversity grant from the National Science Foundation to study the way flowers use scent to attract the pollinators they need to reproduce and survive. The floral scent may also draw flower predators, and this can play an important role in the evolution and diversification of plant species. The Dimensions of Biodiversity program is a “race against time” to transform our understanding of the scope and role of life on earth, according to the NSF.

GLENCOE, Ill. (September 4, 2013) – A Chicago Botanic Garden study evaluating the effects of a warming climate on the region’s urban forest has identified 40 tree varieties likely to thrive in 2050, but predicts other types now flourishing in the area will begin to decline.

20,000 Square Feet at McCormick Place West Provides SAVOR Foodservice with Produce

GLENCOE, Ill. (Aug. 6, 2013) The Chicago Botanic Garden has planted the largest farm-to-fork rooftop garden in Chicago and the Midwest as part of its ongoing mission to promote local sustainable agriculture and train city residents for careers in urban agriculture. The site’s soil-based garden is located at McCormick Place West, part of the largest exhibition and meeting facility in North America.

GLENCOE, Ill. (July 29, 2013) –The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Plants of Concern (POC) program was recently awarded a $14,000 Wildlife Preservation Fund Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. This grant is designed to preserve, protect, perpetuate and enhance non-game wildlife and native plant resources of Illinois through preservation of a satisfactory environment and an ecological balance. POC is a regional rare plant monitoring program designed to assess long-term trends in the state’s rarest plant species.

GLENCOE, IL (July 15, 2013) - The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Green Youth Farm (GYF) is celebrating its tenth anniversary. The program began in 2003 on a one-acre plot in the Lake County Greenbelt Forest Preserve and has added five sites. Two are in Chicago food desert communities: in Lawndale on the west side and in Washington Park on the south side, which is also home to a junior Green Youth Farm operating out of the Washington Park Field House. Another group of Green Youth Farm teens maintains the Thompson Center planters on Randolph Street in downtown Chicago.

GLENCOE, Ill. (July 3, 2013) – Regular visitors to the Chicago Botanic Garden call it their home away from home, one that makes a beautiful setting for a daily walk. Scientists, graduate students and interns see the Garden as a living laboratory for vital conservation efforts. The Garden serves as a place of lifelong learning for the thousands of students attending field trips, adults enrolling in an array of continuing education classes and visitors participating in a wide range of events.

GLENCOE, Ill. (June 24, 2013) – Janice Becker of Deerfield was named the 2012 Chicago Botanic Garden Volunteer of the Year at a recent awards reception. The Garden initiated the award in 1984 to focus attention on the outstanding support given to the Garden each year by all volunteers and to recognize one volunteer who exemplifies extraordinary service.

GLENCOE, Ill. (June 6, 2013) – Seven species of the classic fall-flowering aster have received top five-star ratings and 19 additional types of asters have received four-stars in Plant Evaluation Notes Issue 36, 2013, recently released by the Chicago Botanic Garden.

“Along with goldenrods, asters are classic autumnal flowers of gardens, roadsides, and native landscapes,” said Richard G. Hawke, plant evaluation manager. “They are wonderful companions to a variety of other late-season perennials and grasses.”

– First app in country that brings a botanic garden’s plant collections database to life

GLENCOE, Ill. (May 2, 2013) –The Chicago Botanic Garden announces a new smartphone app called “GardenGuide,” which is the first of its kind to be developed in the United States with the ability to tap in to a botanic garden’s plant collections database. The GardenGuide app shares the Garden’s vast plant-collections database, containing records of the nearly 2.6 million plants in the living collection. The app is free to users.

GLENCOE, IL (December 18, 2012) – After an international search, the Chicago Botanic Garden has selected landscape architects Peter Wirtz/Wirtz International and Mikyoung Kim/Mikyoung Kim Design to design two new display gardens at the 385-acre Glencoe campus. Wirtz will design the garden associated with the Greenhouse and Nursery Campus and Kim has been selected to design the Learning Campus garden. This is the first public botanic garden commission for both and is the first United States non-residential assignment for Belgium-based Wirtz.

Glencoe, Ill. – The American Planning Association (APA) today announced the designation of the Chicago Botanic Garden as one of 10 Great Public Spaces for 2012 under the organization’s Great Places in America program. APA Great Places exemplify exceptional character and highlight the role planning and planners play in adding value to communities, including fostering economic growth and creating jobs.

GLENCOE, Ill. (September 5, 2012) - This has been a landmark year for the Chicago Botanic Garden, which is celebrating 40 years of educating visitors about plants and the natural world. Over the past four decades, the Garden has grown from a simple idea to a living museum with more than 2.4 million plants and featuring numerous classes, youth programs, art exhibitions and more.

GLENCOE, Ill. (Aug. 27, 2012) - The Chicago Botanic Garden and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Ecosystem Restoration Program have completed a ten-month Section 206 Ecosystem Restoration Project to restore 1.25 miles of shoreline at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s North Lake.

GLENCOE, Ill. (August 30, 2012) – On September 4, 2012, the Chicago Botanic Garden will open the Kleinman Family Cove, an aquatic classroom that will serve as an ideal location for children and adults to study the aquatic plants and animals that inhabit our wetland ecosystems and to learn about conserving freshwater systems, which are critical to our lives. Located on the Garden’s North Lake, the Cove is the third project of the Learning Campus development plan.

GLENCOE, Ill. (July 18, 2012) – The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Windy City Harvest urban agriculture program has partnered with Levy Restaurants and Midwest Foods to provide fresh produce and tilapia for the Levy Restaurant’s Stadium Club at U.S. Cellular Field.

GLENCOE, Ill. (May 7, 2012) – The Chicago Botanic Garden has done groundbreaking work as a result of a two-year grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The grant reaches both casual passersby and committed gardeners with ideas for how to integrate sustainable agriculture techniques into their own backyards.

GLENCOE, Ill. (March 13,2012) — To honor the 100th anniversary of Japan's gift of cherry trees to the United States, the Japanese government is gifting trees to public and private organizations throughout the United States. The Chicago Botanic Garden will receive 20 trees.

Chicago's Consul General of Japan, Mr. Yoshifumi Okamura and Sophia Shaw, president and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden, will plant the first cherry tree on Sunday, March 25, at 1:30 p.m. The tree planting will be a highlight of the Garden's annual Japanese Garden Spring Weekend event.

GLENCOE, Ill. (January 26, 2012) — For the third consecutive year, the Chicago Botanic Garden set an all-time attendance record in 2011, generating 953,864 visits, representing a 5.4 percent increase or 49,000 more visitors than 2010. This number equates to a 29 percent increase since 2009. During 2011, the Garden experienced three record-setting months: August was the highest attendance month ever in the Garden's 40-year history with 134,049 visits; October had 97,289 visits, and December saw 70,509 visits.

GLENCOE, Ill. (Jan. 9, 2012) — The Chicago Botanic Garden will open the Grunsfeld Children's Growing Garden with a dedication ceremony at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 2, 2012. Attendees will be encouraged to also attend World Environment Day at the Garden from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The dedication will include remarks followed by a ribbon cutting, tours of the garden and two activity stations for children. Staff will demonstrate how the garden will be used for a variety of programs that connect children with nature.

GLENCOE, Ill. (Nov. 22, 2011) – The Chicago Botanic Garden and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Ecosystem Restoration Program have begun a ten-month Section 206 Ecosystem Restoration Project to restore 6,400 feet of shoreline at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s North Lake. The project area includes the entire perimeter of the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden, as well as areas along the North Lake’s western and northern shoreline.

Wonderland Express, Chicago’s favorite seasonal event, arrives again at the Chicago Botanic Garden for the holidays. Now in its 11th year of delighting Garden visitors, the exhibition transforms the Garden’s Regenstein Center into a magical holiday haven, full of trains, lights and botanical decorations.

GLENCOE, IL (May 8, 2014) – The robust and showy native perennial Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium spp.) is often relegated to larger more naturalized landscapes, but certain species can make a fantastic addition to smaller or more formal garden spaces, says Richard Hawke, plant evaluation manager at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Hawke speaks with authority. He’s recently completed an evaluation of 26 varieties of Eutrochium and relatives of the Joe-Pye Weed over a 12-year span.

GLENCOE, IL (April 24, 2015) – 700 guests donned their best spring garden party attire and raised over $200,000 at the recent Preview Evening for the Antiques, Garden & Design Show. Celebrating its 15th year, the Show inspires stylish living and presents beautiful gardens and objects in a way that transcends the ordinary.